Small Home Style: Sofa Shopping 101

Welcome to another edition of Small Home Style, today we’re talking sofas: scale, style and where to find modern sofas. Just a quick FYI for all my new readers, I started the design series Small Home Style last year to help fellow small home dweller solved the design dilemmas that pop up in a small home. 

When it comes to sofa shopping for smaller spaces things can get tricky. People often think small room equals small furniture, but too many small pieces in a small room can make everything feel tiny or cluttered. The key is to think of the scale of the sofa with the size of your living room. Also, consider how you use your living room, remember to design for the life you live versus the life you want to live. Meaning if you entertain a lot in your small home, make sure your living space is comfortable for yourself and family - so plenty of seating is essential. For most people buying a sofa is an investment piece and not an item of furniture your swap out when you get bored. On average most people keep sofas for 7-15 years. When I was sofa shopping, I knew most likely would have our sofas for 8-10 years. 

When we first bought our home, we had one sofa and two chairs, over time I noticed when we had company over they would gravitate towards the couch instead of seating in our arm-less chairs. The arm-less chairs while comfy, they weren't made for long-term sitting and chilling. When sofa shopping the next time around, I realized our living room best suited two sofas instead of sectional or sofa plus two chairs. Also, I made a list of musts for our sofas: clean, modern design, no back cushions, must have feet and neutral fabric. We've had our sofas for four years and the cushions are still holding their shape (I flip them regularly between sofas) Also the fabric is also in great condition (no peeling or fraying) We do have one tiny tear on the seam of an arm, thanks to the puppy! Thankfully its small enough I can repair it with help from a glue gun. We purchased our sofas from Scandinavian Designs, I love thier modern design aesthetic and feel you get exceptional style on a budget. 

Below are some tips when sofa shopping.

Sofa Shopping Tips

• Measure Your Room, make sure you still have room on both sides of the sofa for end tables or plants. Use painters tape on the floor to map-out area of the sofa to make sure the sofa size: length, height and width will work in your space 
• Determine the design style you want: Sofa, Sectional or Sofa with Chaise (make sure you have room to walk around the chaise and think of the placement) 
• Ask yourself how you use your living room? How much seating do you need
• Think streamline classic look on arms on sofa verses and back cushions, instead bulky arms on sofa. Extra heft on a sofa design can look dated fast. 
• Ditch the ready-made pillows that come with the sofa! Instead buy the pillows separate
• Make sure the warranty on the cushions is good! (Nothing worse than flat cushions) Also make sure the construction is well made and built to last 
• Consider investing in the stain-resistant protection 
• Buying a sofa online: Read all reviews, check return policy and restocking fee and warranty 

Now that you know the style and size of the sofa you want, where to shop for your sofa?

image via Oh Eight Oh Nine

In store Shop: West Elm, Crate & Barrel, JC Penny's, Lazy Boy Furniture, RC Wiley, IKEA, Pottery Barn and Room  & Board (most of their sofas are available in three different sizes) CB2 

Online Shop: Overstock, Wayfair, West Elm, Room & Board, Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel and RC Wiley (depending on delivery) CB2 

Here’s a roundup of my favorite sofa options from the stores mentioned above in various styles and price points both online and in-person options. The sofas in the round-up range from $500 - $2500 bucks

Get The Look

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MID CENTURY MODERN L-R  Laura Sofa, Reese Sofa, Kelsey Sofa, Petrie Modern Sofa, Liam Sofa *Design Steal $599! MODERN STREAMLINED L-R Harrison Sofa, Grey Club Sofa *It's a Sleeper Sofa,Perfect for Company! Hamilton Sofa,  Dryden Sofa, Henry Sofa, Brindon Sofa CLASSIC MINIMALIST L-R Antwerp Slipcovered Sofa, Shelter Sofa, Movie Sofa *Perfect for Lounging, Extra Deep Cushions, Seville Tufted Sofa, Leslie Sofa, Willow Sofa *Classic Modern take on Slip covered Sofa 

I hope my sofa shopping 101 for a small living room comes in handy the next time your ready to buy a new sofa! Remember, its an investment piece that you'll likely have a very long time so make sure you know you'll love yuor sofa long-term. 

Small Home Style: Small Bathroom Vanity Ideas

I typically share Small Home Style ideas on Monday, but since next week is a long Holiday weekend, I thought I would share today instead. For all my new readers, I started the design series Small Home Style to help fellow smaller home dwellers with design challenges. Decorating and a small home for real life can be difficult, and I'm all about style + function. 

One of the questions I get often asked about is my master bathroom vanity in our small bathroom addition. We rebuilt our home four years ago, at the time was difficult finding a small, stylish bathroom vanity that would work in small space. Ideally, I wanted a vanity that had an open bottom shelf to help provide additional storage in our small bathroom. When I did find a vanity I liked, it was way over budget. All the vanities in the style I wanted were easily over a $1000+ for just the vanity. I wanted the look of Pottery Barn but with a Target Budget. Makes sense right? 

Instead of buying a combination vanity + vanity top, I purchased a vanity and a quartz top separately to save money. I did a little digging around on The Home Depot website and was able to locate the exact vanity we purchased! In our bathroom we have the Home Decorator’s Avondale Vanity, we had the vanity shipped free to store and installed by our contractor. I didn’t love wood finish on the vanity, but it checked off all the boxes with the look I had in mind. I liked the open bottom shelf, that gave me additional storage to hold towels and toilet paper in baskets, and I liked that the vanity felt more like furniture than a cabinet. Plus the vanity fit perfectly in our snug bathroom. 

About a year later I painted the vanity Coastal Storm, and while I love that shade of grey it just never felt quite right with the counter top. Eventually, I plan to paint the vanity Tricorn Black and add trim around the doors to create more depth. Maybe I’ll finally tackle this project on the over the long Holiday Weekend (stay tuned) also; I’m also updating the hardware for a more modern look. 

Below is my bathroom when it's all perfectly lovely and styled and not between projects. On the bottom shelf, I have a pair of these woven baskets (currently on sale!) that fit perfectly underneath and stylish hold our extra towels and sheets. 

Three Ideas to Customize a Bathroom Vanity 

ONE: Paint, it's always the best go-to when a piece of furniture needs an update!  
TWO: Swap out the hardware that comes with your vanity for something more custom
THREE: Instead of buying a matching vanity set, purchase the vanity and counter separately and splurge on a quartz or marble top or visit a stone yard and have a vanity top custom made. 

As I mentioned, it can be hard to find a stylish petite bathroom vanity that doesn’t feel chintzy and generic. I’ve rounded up 15 small bathroom vanities ranging in size from 24 - 36 inches in various sizes. All the vanities in my roundup are under $500; some need vanity counter tops, and most are available in white, grey or dark walnut finishes.  

15 Small Bathroom Vanities 

BATHROOM VANITIES: Top Row L-R Gazette Grey Vanity // Glacier Bay // Diamonds Fresh // Kohler Tresham Grey // Second Row L-R Design House Concord // White Vanity // Augustine Vanity // Avondale Vanity // Third Row L-R Diamond Fresh // Gazette Vanity // Albright Vanity // Bottom Row L-R Ashburn Vanity // Winterfell Vanity // Haven Vanity // Teason Vanity

In need more ideas for small bathrooms? This post Small Bathroom Design Solutions is a must read. I'm seriously loving all the pretty vanities, I came across on my search so many options! My favorites are still the ones that have open bottom shelves! Having the open storage is super helpful. One con for my current vanity, the one drawer! My husband and I each share one side, most of my beauty products fit on the drawer, I use a small tray for make-up and holding perfume.

What small bathroom vanity style do you prefer? Have a small home design question? Shoot me an email at Hello@ChicLittleHouse.com